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ANCIENT NEMEA

MEDIEVAL ARCHITECTURE

OF THE EARLY CHRISTIAN AND BYZANTINE PERIODS

Model of Nemea in the Early Christian period

The medieval architectural remains at Nemea include an Early Christian Basilica located within the Sancuary of Zeus, houses from the Early Christian period, and houses from the Byzantine period.

Aerial view of the Basilica, 1980

 


Although time, the elements, and human activity have left little for study, enough remains of the Christian Basilica at Nemea to conclude that it dominated the landscape of the Early Christian farming community. Built atop the foundations of the Hellenistic era Xenon, this three-aisled basilica contained a number of traits characteristic of construction in Greece in the 5th - 6th centuries after Christ.

Plan of Basilica in Red over plan of the Xenon

 


Its floor plan featured a central nave flanked on the north and south sides by aisles separated by colonnades and parapet. A northex formed the west end and the east end featured a semi-circular apse, lined with a low bench. In addition, thresholds at the north and south ends of the narthex possibly indicate rooms used for storage of communal offerings and dedications. The use of cement and rubble foundations topped with cut limestone blocks quarried from the temple and surrounding ruins was also typical of this period. Many of the cut blocks found in situ featured mason's marks from their use in the Temple of Zeus. The re-use of architectural remains is still today a common practice, responsible for much of the Basilica's more recent destruction.

Apse of the Basilica, from South. 

 


Especially interesting, however, is the presence of square terracotta tiles used as flooring within the Basilica. In places, these tiles were laid down on two separate occasions according to differing organizational schemes. It is unlikely that this building ever received sculptural or mosaic decoration. Traces of red, yellow, and blue paint do indicate that the interior of the building may have been covered in stucco and painted. Fragments of clear glass also point to the existence of some type of clerestory lighting. It is impossible to be certain though, as the wooden roof of this building has long since decayed.

General view of the Baptistry, from South.

 


A short while after the construction of the Basilica, a large rectangular Baptistry was added to the west end of the north side of this religious structure. This Baptistry featured an inner chamber with a circular baptismal font, flanked on three sides by a peripheral corridor. The small amount of evidence available indicates that this area decorated in a manner similar to that of the adjoining Basilica.
 



Detail of Baptistry.

 


The only other architectural features of the Early Christian era at Nemea are a few domestic structures located mainly in the area immediately southwest the Basilica but also as far away as 500 m. further south. Two buildings, located just south of the remains of the bath in Sections J 19 and K19, were excavated to reveal number of rooms and courtyards with walls constructed of field stones, tile fragments, and even architectural pieces of the nearby temple topped with mud brick. Judging from the destruction debris, it appears that the buildings featured plastered walls, predominantly simple earth floors, and tiled roofs.

Walls of Early Chrisitan Houses southwest of Basilica (left) Gold coin of Justinian found in hoard in floor of house (right)

 


Artifacts such as iron tools and coins found within suggested to the excavators that the building was constructed for domestic use and even perhaps "supplied quarters for the clergy who served the Basilica."

Iron axe head found in Early Christian house.

 


Located a good distance south of the site of normal excavations, a similar house was discovered containing one curious feature not found elsewhere in domestic settings. Two exploratory trenches revealed a collection of rubble walls covered in thick destruction debris. Yet among this debris was also located the scattered remains of a human body, a sign of a violent end to settlement not found elsewhere. As with the Basilica, archaeological evidence places the date for the destruction of these buildings close together in later part of the 6th century.

Walls of an Early Christian House 500 meters south of the Sanctuary of Zeus

A great deal of non-architectural evidence for the presence of Christian settlers in the Nemea Valley comes in the form of nearly 300 burials in and about the ancient sanctuary. To judge from the uniformly east-west orientation of the graves and the occasional presence of associated crosses, it is almost certain that these burials represent generations of Christian activity in the area. These burials are often quite simple and rarely contain more than disintegrated human remains, yet feature an interesting variety of construction techniques. Recent study seems to indicate that Christian settlers of different periods of time favored different areas of the site for burial, with the earliest graves appearing near the Hellenistic temple and the latest near the Basilica.

Early Christian burials southeast of temple before opening

Early Christian burials southeast of temple after opening

 


Two houses of the Byzantine period (12th - 13th century after Christ) have been uncovered at Nemea as well. Both have featured thick walls constructed of re-used Hellenistic temple blocks with the spaces between filled with rubble and debris. Both the house uncovered southeast of the temple in 1976 and the house located in 1998 immediately west of the modern Nemea River have featured storage pithoi / cisterns and appear to have served a domestic purpose.
 
 

Walls of Byzantine house located southeast of Temple of Zeus

Walls of Byzantine house located west of modern Nemea River
 
 

Byzantine era jug found in house west of modern Nemea River

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This web site was designed and developed by Susannah L. Van Horn; please direct comments and inquiries to: nemeaucb@berkeley.edu